Pool side

Like every summer, we are enjoying our time by the pool. It hasn't been near as much this year because of Carter, but we are still having a great time. I decided to teach Macey how to dive. I can dive myself, but have no idea how to teach a child. Being that she has no fear she seemed to catch on right away. She goes in head first, but now we just need to get her legs to come up in the air. But this was just after about 5 minutes.

Macey's first tooth.

Can't decide

Okay, so it's been a couple of months since my last post; I was thinking about giving up on the blog and just post pics to facebook, but I can't decide. I started feeling like I should keep the blog going. I would love to get a response if you are still looking at our blog. If so, I will continue with it.
We are so busy with 2 kids now...Macey finished Kindergarten and starts summer camp Monday. She will be very busy with field trips all the time. I am thankful because I would not be able to do as much with her this year because of Carter. She also started gymnastics which she will do thru the summer, and then back to soccer in the fall. Speaking of Carter he is getting a little more laid back...sleeps thru the night (praise the Lord)...doesn't sleep at all during the day...the doc told me at his 4 month checkup that he should be taking 2 good naps a day (I just laughed and told him that would be great)...I guess he just wants to be up when he's at home...he does good when we are out and about, but this is causing us to go broke..(several trips to Target a week).
I am at work right now, but will try and post pics soon.
We leave for GA on Thursday for my cousin Ashley's wedding and a family reunion..we are so excited to see everyone!

New Pictures

Carter is now 6 weeks old. His reflux is better under control, but he is still a very fussy baby. I get pretty much nothing done during the day because he crys for most of it and I just end up holding him. I am praying this get better very soon! Macey started soccer season last Saturday and played great. She also had open house at her school; it was great to see all the work they've done throughout the year. They write in a daily journal, and I'm amazed at her writing, and sentences, and even the stuff she writes about, some of it was made up, it was entertaining. We are so proud of her!

More Pictures

I'm finally posting a few more pictures...most were taken a week or 2 ago, and Carter has already changed so much. He's is finally starting to fatten up. At his 1 month visit, he weighed 8 lb 4 oz's, which is almost a 2 lb gain in 2 weeks. We are still in that VERY difficult time of not sleeping at night. I have high hopes that within 2 weeks he will start having a 5 hour stretch of sleep at a time. I don't think that's asking too much. Macey is still a very pround big sister, always wanting to help.
There are also some snow pics that I took of Macey a couple weeks ago when we got 8 inches. It didn't come down until during the day, so the kids were already in school, but they did get the next day off.

Our family is complete!

MR. CARTER JOEL ASHMAN

All grown up!

Macey got her ears pierced today. She was so brave and very excited, but right before it happened, she told me she had a tickle in her tummy. Their was only one girl working there, so she had to do one ear at time. She pierced the first ear, and Macey's face turned a little red, but that was it. By the time we went to pay at the register, I asked her if it hurt anymore, and she said 'No, it just felt like getting the flu shot'. She is so brave and strong! She couldn't wait for Daddy to get home from work to show him. On the way home she asked me if she looked 16! Why do kids want to grow up so fast?

Update

We are one the countdown until Carter's arrival...January 28th I will have a C-Section. We've been getting everything ready. Stephanie, Kristi, and Kylie are throwing me a baby shower tomorrow, and I'm so excited...so is Macey. She has been my helper lately.
We had a great Christmas, very busy! Lots of family to see. Macey's big gift was a Nintendo DS from my parents. They got each of the 3 older grandkids one. She loves
the easal that Vince's parents got her. She's really into 'teaching' right now.
Below are some pics of the snow we had on Christmas; and Macey helping Daddy paint Carter's room.

So I was trying something new with my last post, but it didn't work out the way I thought it would. I also tried to scan a photo of Macey with Santa,and it came out awful...
Anyways off to the Dr right now; I hope he will decide on a date for my C-Section.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Macey's first production

Macey had her Thanksgiving program today followed by Thanksgiving lunch. For some reason she volunteered to say a poem in front of everyone (all the Kindergarteners and their parents). We didn't find out until Tuesday, so we practiced it a lot the last couple days. She did great! I was so impressed with her. I was so nervous for her (of course I didn't let her know). She was excited that she got to hold the microphone.

Funny girl

Today at church, there was no Sunday school, so Macey came to 'big church' with us. It's in a somewhat new worship center that she had never been in, with theatre style seating...the first thing she said as we were sitting down was 'where are the cup holders?'...made me laugh.

I think today Macey realized we are getting closer to Christmas, and wants to be on the good list. Vince and I both got shoulder massages from her. And I was opening a jar of pickles and some juice got on my shirt; she said let me get that, and ran to get a paper towel to wipe off my shirt. I can definitely stand a month and a half of this!

Halloween

Taylor and Zach came over to trick or treat with Macey and spend the night. Both the girls were Batgirls, which was not on purpose. Zach was Darth Vador (I'm sure I spelled that wrong). They had a lot of fun, but Talyor was really tired. She woke up Sunday morning with a fever, and looked really bad. Clay took her to be tested for the Flu and she was positive; which is just great since I'm 6 1/2 months pregnant. I started Tamiflu just in case, but only took it 2 days because it makes me so nautious. I don't have any symptoms and will get the vaccine at work this week, and don't want to be on Tamiflu when I get it. All of the York's got on Tamiflu.
Stephanie just called me this morning and is pretty sure she's in labor, so I will have another nephew by the end of the day (probably soon since she's been dilated to 4 for over a week).

So tired...

Well Kindergarten is definitley wearing Macey out. This week she has come home and fell asleep twice in the recliner while watching TV. I took this picture Tuesday of her after she snuck in the pantry, while I was on the phone, and found the lollipop that Aunt Kristi gave her. Well this is how I found her. I let her sleep for about an hour and then tried to get her up for bath, but she would not wake up, so I carried her to bed (without dinner) and amazingly she stayed asleep until after 7 am. That was 14 hours!!

First Soccer Game

Macey had her very first soccer game this morning. And let me tell you how impressed I was with her. She scored 6-7 of the 9 goals. She always knew which direction her team was going, which is huge at this age, (she even took the ball away from her teammate who was going the wrong way). What I was impressed with most was her hussell...she doesn't like to run; and she ran the whole time she was on the field, up and down. We are proud soccer parents. My parents were able to come, and they were just as impressed. My mom kept telling me how Macey looks so much like me, and how she even stands the way me and Joel did as kids. Macey was very happy, and already excited about next weeks game.

Kindergarten/5th Birthday

I'm finally getting around to posting pics from the 1st day of school, and Macey's birthday. Two weeks of school already over, and Macey is doing great. The teacher informed us she is Ms. Socialite of the class. She loves it and wakes up excited to go. She seems like she has matured a lot since the day she turned 5. She has been helpful around the house (without being asked!); and this is absolutely amazing to me. I will tell her I appreciate how she's such a big helper, and her response is 'well I'm 5 now'. On days that I take her to school, she gets ready quickly and has time to play on her swingset or play on the computer. When I work Vince takes her in earlier and is a bit more rushed. She is exhausted at the end of the day, and is eager when it's time to get ready for bed. She's usually passed out by 8:15.
Her birthday was great. It was fun having everyone over. She chose a Hanna Montana party.
Macey is finally playing soccer. She has just had one practice; but she loves it. She informed me after practice that her coach is sooo cute!

Many changes

Macey has a lot going on right now. I finally got her in soccer. She just completed a week long soccer camp, and by today she was doing fantastic...even I was impressed (she was the youngest at the camp).
Last night was meet the teacher night at school. We had such a battle with her to get out the door and walk up to the school. I'm sure she has a lot of anxiety about starting Kindergarten. But by the time we got to the parking lot she was running inside. We expressed our concerns to her new teacher about her being so young, but then we all look over at her and she is introducing herself to several other kids and getting a game of Candy Land going.
Macey is certain we are having a boy. She told me tonight that God knows she is a girl and He wants us to have one of each...me and Vince aren't convinced; we are pretty certain it's another Diva; we find out Tuesday.
Summer is almost over, I hope to take Macey swimming a couple more times. It's so nice to be able to watch from the side. Yesterday she joined in a race with some
13ish year olds in the deep end of the pool; and she held her own. I posted a few pics of her jumping in.

Ken and Claudia's visit

Ken and Claudia came to Texas a couple weekends ago; and we had so much fun with them. I felt like we spent most of the time eating...which of course I love. I think Ken had fun driving my dad's tractor and shooting guns. We were so happy they came to see us, it really meant a lot to all of us! Stephanie and Clay went to New York for the weekend, so Friday night Taylor and Zach spent the night with us. They set up a tent in the living room to sleep in, but Zach was the only one who actually slept in it. The next night Macey and Taylor spent the night with Kristi, and Zach spent the night with Nana (he said he didn't want to be around girls anymore)...I don't blame him. I think everyone was exhausted by the end of the weekend, but we all had fun.

Baby update

I had an OB appointment yesterday, and everything is great. The baby's heartbeat was 175 (I'm thinking another girl); and my due date is February 12th. We haven't told Macey yet, but probably soon.
I hope to get some pool pictures taken soon. Macey loves jumping off the diving board. She can go down in the 8 ft. deep water and touch the bottom, but can't make it to the bottom of the 11 ft. deep yet. She is such a little fish; I'm so glad she can swim well, I see kids that are 7 that can't swim as good as her.
Ken and Claudia are coming to Texas tonight...we are so excited, and can't wait to spend time with them!